Free Overnight Parking
First, take advantage of FREE. While traveling to your next destination, certain businesses allow you to "camp" overnight in their lots, including Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Sam's Club, Costco, Pilot Flying J and Kmart. I put "camp" in quotation marks because an RVers' code of conduct applies when taking advantage of free overnighting.
- Rule one: Get permission. Call ahead or get there in time to talk to the manager. Although this is not required, it is a courtesy that you should always give for their generous free lodging.
- Rule two: Don't really camp. That means no awnings, lawn chairs or outside fires. Unless given specific permission, do not connect to electric or water, and keep your stay to a single night.
- Rule three: Patronize the business in the morning. Pick up some essentials before hitting the road again.
Check out Overnight RV Parking for places to park and Frequently Asked Questions to keep you in compliance with the "code."
Free Camping on Public Land
FreeCampsites.net offers a database of free campgrounds and places where you can boondock, or dry camp (no hookups). Because some sites require permits, you'll need to plan out your trips. Most free sites have a time limit for how long you can stay, but there are some that allow for long-term stays. RV Camping on Public Lands has a more than adequate list of resources related to this topic and how you can locate public land for boondocking.
Workamping
While I don't expect this next tip to be useful until we actually retire, I plan to one day be a full-time workcamper. When an RVer workamps, he or she works off their site rental by performing tasks around the campgrounds. You hang out there for a month or so, and then move on to your next job. Trade-offs might also include discounted food or other perks. You contribute the skills you have, travel the country and get to live the dream. Wow. I can't wait.
Workamper News, an online magazine, has a lot of useful information about this retirement career, including webinars and forums.If you're ready to jump in, find jobs at WorkampingJobs.com, Work Camping (yeah, some spell it the correct way), and Work for RVers and Campers. While you're at that last site, check out its Bad Workamping Jobs: 10 Warning Signs from Negative Workamper Experiences article.
Freelance Your Skills
What I'm doing now is what I do best - writing. I contacted my old boss (current friend) and asked if she had any writing jobs to contract out. She's been throwing me a job every week or so for writing, PowerPoint template set up, locating images and other odd tasks.
To fill in the time between those jobs, I applied to and write for Demand Studios. Now, you'll read all kinds of pros and cons for writing for a company like Demand Studios, but, right now, there's only one pro that matters - extra money in my savings account for our trip. In one month, I pulled in an extra $500 writing short articles. Sure, I'm staying up late to do this work, but, when we're hitting the open road this summer, I know it will have been worth it.
There are, of course, plenty of freelance sites out there to help you find gigs, including eLance and Guru. Craigslist also had a lead for me, but I never actually needed the extra work since the above two jobs keep me busy at night.
Other Resources:
FreeCampgrounds.com: Resources
RV.net: Workamping Forum
CampingRoadTrip: How to Become a Workamper
Travels with the Blonde Coyote: Boondocking 101: How to Camp for Free in Beautiful Places
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